
This January marks pivotal moments in our ongoing fight for justice, as President-Elect Trump will be inaugurated on the very same day we honor Martin Luther King, Jr.
But 2025 arrives with both empowerment and possibility. Yes, we’re facing critical challenges to reproductive rights, racial justice, and human dignity. But look closer: this month’s calendar reminds us that progress has never come easy—it’s been won through the fierce determination of those who refused to back down.
We all still have a voice. And hope is alive and well in the United States in the New Year!
From Wyoming’s groundbreaking election of Nellie Tayloe Ross to the historic Loving v. Virginia case, January’s legacy teaches us that justice prevails when we stand our ground. At FUNKY BROWN CHICK, Inc., we’re doubling down on defending hard-won progress while pushing forward.
Ready to channel that energy? Here are the January Days to Remember that fuel our fire for justice.
January 1 – 31
National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month
This month demands more than awareness—it requires confronting uncomfortable truths about modern slavery in the United States. While January marks the official observance established in 2010, we’re seeing disturbing trends: mass detention facilities using forced labor, lawmakers voting against anti-trafficking protections, and systemic exploitation of vulnerable communities continuing unchecked.
Fifty million people worldwide are trapped in modern slavery, with forced labor and sex trafficking generating over $150 billion annually. Fifty million. And 20% of those are children. In the U.S., private prisons and detention centers exploit legal loopholes in the 13th Amendment to perpetuate state-sanctioned forced labor.
At FUNKY BROWN CHICK, we recognize this isn’t just about awareness—it’s about dismantling systems that enable human trafficking in all its forms. Join us in supporting organizations fighting trafficking’s root causes through:
- Immigrant rights advocacy
- Prison reform initiatives
- Labor rights protection
- Direct support for survivors
Need help or want to report trafficking? Contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888.
Wednesday, January 1
Happy New Year!

Across the country, communities are gathering: sharing meals, joining hands, marking fresh starts. Here’s to showing up. To resting when needed and rising when called. To choosing hope not because it’s easy, but because it’s how justice has always been won.
We at FUNKY BROWN CHICK honor how different cultures welcome their new years—each tradition a testament to human resilience and connection. Whether you’re joining city celebrations, hosting chosen family, or taking a quiet day of rest and intention-setting, you’re a part of a world of communities stepping boldly into 2025.
January 3
International Mind-Body Wellness Day
Rest isn’t just self-care—it’s resistance. As The Nap Bishop, Tricia Hersey, reminds us: in a world that demands constant productivity, choosing rest is a radical act. This connection between mind and body runs deep in reproductive justice work, where burnout often threatens our most dedicated organizers.
Today, embrace what The Nap Ministry calls “rest as resistance.” Take that nap. Set boundaries. Maybe even check out the book “Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto” by Tricia Hersey herself! Listen to your body. Because wellness isn’t a luxury—it’s essential for sustaining our movements and communities.
Monday, January 6
White House Insurrection
Today marks three years since violent insurrectionists stormed the Capitol in support of Trump’s election lies. That assault on democracy ended in five deaths, multiple injuries, and deep national wounds. Now in 2025, as similar authoritarian threats rise again with Trump’s re-election, the stakes for reproductive rights and human dignity couldn’t be higher.
Time has shown what happens when democracy erodes: First comes voter suppression, then attacks on bodily autonomy. But movements for justice have always grown stronger under pressure. Our communities know how to resist, persist, and protect each other.
At FUNKY BROWN CHICK, we’re marking this somber day by recommitting to defending democracy through voter engagement and grassroots organizing. Because reproductive freedom can’t exist without democratic freedom.
Mildred and Richard Loving plead guilty to being married
On this day in 1959, Mildred Loving (a black woman) and Richard Loving (a white man) pled guilty to violating Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws. The couple avoided a prison sentence by agreeing to leave their Virginia town for at least 25 years, eventually settling in Washington, D.C., where interracial marriage was already legalized. Their desire to simply visit their families in their hometown set up what would eventually become Loving v. Virginia (1967), the landmark Supreme Court case which ensured the legal recognition of interracial marriages throughout the United States. Learn more about the Lovings, their court battle, and the annual celebration of the Supreme Court decision on the Loving Day website.
The Lovings’ fight for marriage equality offers crucial lessons for today’s reproductive justice movement. Our newly published “Three Acts of Justice” report examines how the reversal of Roe v. Wade puts decisions like this one at risk of being reversed as well. Download the full report to understand key parallels between their victory and current battles for bodily autonomy.
Thursday, January 9
The Golden Globes
As Hollywood’s stars gather for the 82nd Golden Globes, we’re seeing more than just glitz—we’re witnessing art’s power to drive social change. From groundbreaking films tackling reproductive rights to series exploring racial justice, storytelling remains a vital tool for shifting cultural narratives.
As a firm grounded in reproductive justice and founded by an award-winning sex educator, public speaker, and performer, FUNKY BROWN CHICK knows the impact of media representation. The depiction of sexual health, sexual assault, abortion access, and gender disparities on TV has spurred critical societal conversations and pushed social change forward.
After a year of intense debates about bodily autonomy, this night’s nominated works remind us why artistic expression matters in justice movements.
Want to learn more about arts and cultural change? Visit our “Art for Social Change” impact area.
Friday, January 10
National Woman’s Party picketers appear in front of the White House
On this day in 1917, twelve women from the National Women’s Party took their stand at the White House gates, launching what would become years of sustained protest. But this wasn’t just about women’s suffrage—it exposed deep fractures in US democracy that persist today.
While these protesters faced imprisonment and torture for demanding white women’s right to vote, they simultaneously upheld racial hierarchies by excluding Black women from their movement. This pattern continues: recent elections show the majority of white women consistently voting against reproductive freedom and multiracial democracy, even as women of color lead today’s fights for voting rights.
The Silent Sentinels remind us: resistance takes courage, but true progress demands we confront how white supremacy shapes even our movements for justice. For deeper insight, check out Patricia Hill Collins’ “Black Feminist Thought” and join the conversation at this year’s Facing Race Conference.
Saturday, January 11
Human Trafficking Awareness Day
As movement leaders mobilize against Project 2025’s dangerous proposals, today demands more than awareness—it requires action. The conservative policy blueprint would eliminate crucial protections for trafficking survivors, including T visas that help victims escape exploitation and access vital services without risking deportation.
Yet there’s hope: record numbers of advocates are studying Project 2025 and organizing resistance. Over 300 anti-trafficking organizations have already united to protect survivor visa programs.
Take action: Join local anti-trafficking coalitions like OUR Rescue fighting to preserve these essential protections.
Need help? Contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888.
Monday, January 20
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday and Inauguration Day

As Trump takes his oath of office, we remember another oath—the one Dr. King made to fight for justice, no matter the cost. Today’s overlap is no accident of the calendar but a stark reminder: the forces Dr. King faced—voter suppression, state violence, attacks on civil rights—are surging again.
But history offers hope. Dr. King prevailed against fire hoses, police dogs, and white supremacist politicians who, like today’s leaders, claimed their oppression was for the public good. He showed us that when movements stay focused and communities stay united, justice wins.
Formally established in 1983 after 15 years of persistent advocacy, MLK Day calls us to more than remembrance. Today, as reproductive rights, voting access, and human dignity face renewed threats, Dr. King’s strategy of nonviolent resistance and his vision of the Beloved Community light our path forward.
Dr. King’s daughter Bernice reminds us: this convergence of days demands we “reflect on our leadership and the direction we are heading as a nation.” The question isn’t whether we’ll face challenges under Trump’s presidency—it’s how we’ll rise to meet them, together.
Wednesday, January 22
Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
On this day in 1973, Roe v. Wade established the constitutional right to abortion. Fifty-two years later, with Roe overturned and Trump back in office, that victory might feel distant—but our new report “Three Acts of Justice” shows how setbacks have always sparked innovation. The same creativity and determination that won Roe is alive today, from medication abortion networks to groundbreaking legal strategies.
The reproductive justice movement reminds us that rights won through struggle can be defended through struggle. As attacks intensify, communities are building power and protection far beyond what Roe imagined.
Want to learn more about past victories and future possibilities? Download our comprehensive “Three Acts of Justice” report examining reproductive rights before and after Dobbs.
Friday, January 24
International Day of Education
Today we recognize education’s power to liberate and transform. As a firm founded by an award-winning sexual health educator, we know firsthand that knowledge is a fundamental human right—especially when it comes to our bodies and reproductive choices.
Yet in 2024, comprehensive sex education faces unprecedented attacks. Only 30 states require any sex education at all, and just 18 mandate that it be medically accurate. In this landscape of misinformation and fear, education becomes an act of resistance.
Want to learn about FUNKY BROWN CHICK’s commitment to medically accurate, evidence-based sex education? Visit here to learn more!
Saturday, January 25
First National Conference on the Care of Dependent Children Held
On this day in 1909, the White House hosted its first Conference on Dependent Children, launching seven decades of national dialogue on child welfare. Today, as Project 2025 threatens to eliminate early childhood education, slash food assistance, cut public education funding, weaken environmental protections, and limit healthcare access, we’re reminded that protecting children requires more than conferences—it demands action.
From the Southwest Key’s Immigrant Youth Shelters providing crisis support, to KIND ensuring unaccompanied children have legal representation, to Catholic Charities offering refugee services, community organizations are stepping up where the government steps back. They show what’s possible when we prioritize children’s wellbeing over politics.
Sunday, January 26
Birth of Angela Davis
Named after this legendary activist, our founder, Twanna Angela Hines, draws inspiration from Angela Davis’s lifelong commitment to justice. Born in Birmingham in 1944, Davis’s journey from FBI’s “most wanted” list to renowned scholar shows how resistance creates lasting change. Her activism was shaped by the 1963 murder of four girls in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing, and her recent writings on abolition offer crucial insights for today’s struggles.
After facing 18 months of incarceration and eventual acquittal in 1972, Davis turned her persecution into power. Despite being dismissed from UCLA for her political views (with support from then-Governor Reagan), she went on to teach at multiple universities and author six groundbreaking books. As founder of Critical Resistance, she continues connecting reproductive rights to broader liberation movements, reminding us that true freedom requires dismantling all systems of oppression.
Want to explore Davis’s work? Check out her latest collection of essays and interviews, Abolition: Politics, Practices, Promises Vol. 1!
Sen. Stacey Campfield Proclaims that “AIDS Can’t Be Transmitted Via Heterosexual Sex”
On this day in 2012, Senator Campfield spread dangerous lies about HIV transmission, claiming it couldn’t spread through heterosexual sex. Today, as presidential candidates revive similar myths—like RFK Jr.’s false claims linking AIDS to lifestyle choices rather than the virus—we’re reminded that fighting misinformation is as crucial as fighting the disease itself.
But history shows us the path forward. The activists documented in “How to Survive a Plague” demonstrated how combining scientific literacy, community organizing, and relentless advocacy led to lifesaving treatments. Thanks to their blueprint, HIV is no longer a death sentence—some patients are even considered functionally cured.
Need accurate information about HIV/AIDS transmission, prevention, and testing? Visit reliable sources like the CDC.
Tuesday, January 28
Iceland Becomes First Western Nation to Legalize Abortion (1935)

When Iceland legalized therapeutic abortion in 1935 (following Mexico and Poland’s earlier steps), it sparked a global movement that the United States is now tragically reversing. Today, over 50 countries have legalized abortion, including France, Canada, New Zealand, Argentina, and Thailand. Even Ireland, once known for strict abortion laws, voted overwhelmingly to legalize abortion in 2018.
The U.S. increasingly stands alone among developed nations in restricting abortion rights – and against its own people’s wishes. Recent polling shows that 64% of U.S. citizens oppose total abortion bans, with support for abortion access crossing political lines. While state legislators push extreme restrictions, they’re fighting against both global progress and domestic public opinion.
Iceland’s Law No. 38 recognized what most of the world now understands: reproductive healthcare, including abortion, is a fundamental right. Nearly 90 years later, as more countries expand abortion access, the United States’regression isn’t just out of step with global progress – it’s out of touch with its own citizens.
It’s 2025. Trump’s back in office. Project 2025 threatens to roll back decades of progress. But these January milestones remind us: from Wyoming’s Nellie Tayloe Ross to Angela Davis, from Roe’s warriors to today’s reproductive justice leaders, movements for liberation have always faced fierce opposition—and found innovative ways to resist.
This month shows us both the shadows and the light: the darkness of Stacey Campfield and RFK Jr.’s deadly misinformation contrasted with the brilliance of HIV/AIDS activists who transformed tragedy into treatment. The violence of the January 6th insurrection alongside communities organizing to protect democracy. The cruelty of anti-abortion policies versus the creativity of those ensuring access.At FUNKY BROWN CHICK, we know a more just world is possible because we’ve seen how determined communities make the impossible inevitable. Ready to join the fight? Visit our Impact page to learn how we help you write the next chapter of justice.